"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." -- Revelation 4:11 (ESV)
In September we had the privilege of tent-camping as a family in some of the most beautiful National Parks our country has to offer. The gorgeous scenery was like medicine for our tired souls--straight from the hand of our Creator. And it worked!
We started our "therapy" in the northern Rockies, at Glacier National Park. We wound up camping at Two Medicine campground (not our original plan, but that's another story.) The campground was located a long way from the rest of the park, way up in this valley, where the clouds and mountains converge.
It was a gorgeous place! Here's a panoramic photo from our phone, looking out over the lake in front of the campground.
We saw mountain goats, sheep, and bear, as well as a bunch of birds, squirrels, gophers, caterpillars, butterflies, and lots of other stuff. Every night an owl would hoot as we fell asleep.
To be honest, we were freezing during most of our time there. It seemed to rain about every other 20 minutes, and the wind would blow something fierce. The temperatures were between the 30's and 50's, which to our tropically-adjusted bodies felt like the North Pole! But the kids still wanted to play by the lake, even in shorts and flip-flops. They wanted to go swimming too, but that's where I drew the line. I might have let them try except that firewood was expensive and it would have taken a lot of it to warm them back up again! :-)
We did some hiking too, though it was tough to get very far because it kept raining...and hailing. I think we were the only morons in all of Glacier National Park that didn't have somekind of gor-tex winter gear, or at least some rain gear of some kind. Shoot, we didn't even have an umbrella! The rapidly changing weather made for some dramatic skies and drastic changes in scenery, which is good for photography...if you can keep your camera dry.
I can't imagine what we must have looked like, walking around shivering and chattering, wearing shorts and crocs, with our mouths wide open, oohing and awing and pointing, just trying to take it all in. But we didn't care. It was glorious! The best type of medicine, besides maybe laughing. But we did plenty of that too!
The colors of Autumn were just beginning to flare up in a few stands of woods and brush. Since it's been four years since we've experienced fall, and since a few of our kids couldn't even remember it at all, this was really special. Again, mouths wide open. Staring. Uncaring. Loving it!
Check back soon for the next installment of our time at Glacier National Park!
3 comments:
What a wonderful thing to slow down and enjoy the amazing world God has given - instead of complaining about the cold, or the work that needs to be done... Sometimes it's too easy to forget. Thanks, I needed that!
Looks awesome! I know a house on the Canadian side of those same mountains that would take your family in the next time y'all want/need to see mountains and such :)
Thanks Arielle! You sure are right.
Ben, that's some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. You guys are blessed to live near there...even if it is on the Canadian side. :-) Next time I'll have to cross the border and stay a few days.
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